The Women’s Volleyball Nations League 2024 Macao presented by Galaxy Entertainment Group sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) and jointly organized by the Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Galaxy Entertainment Group, and the Volleyball Association of Macao, China will be held at the Galaxy Arena from 28 May (Tuesday) to 2 June (Sunday) this year. Eight elite teams from China, Brazil, Italy, Dominican Republic, Japan, Netherlands, Thailand and France will vie for their best rankings in the Macao leg for a place in the finals. The organizers held a press conference today (29 April) to introduce the event details. Guests attending the press conference included the President of the Sports Bureau, Pun Weng Kun; Director of Galaxy Entertainment Group, Philip Cheng; and President of the Board of Directors of the Volleyball Association of Macao, China, Ma Chi Seng.

Since 2018, the Women's Volleyball Nations League has become the new world-class annual volleyball competition in place of the Volleyball World Grand Prix and is entering its sixth edition this year. The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) will be held in the new competition format adopted in 2022 featuring 16 teams, including 11 core teams and 5 challenger teams. The entire competition will be held from 14 May to 23 June, with preliminary (qualification) matches spanning across three weeks from 14 May to 16 June in six cities, and Macao will host one of the legs in the second week. The finals will be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 20 to 23 June. 

Pun Weng Kun, President of the Sports Bureau, commented in his speech at the press conference that the event this year is being jointly organized by the Sports Bureau, Galaxy Entertainment Group, and the Volleyball Association of Macao, China. He believes that the experience and rapport built through three years of cooperation among the organizers will give more advantages to the event in terms of the venue, organization, and marketing and allow the event to present a refreshing array of thrilling matches.

Philip Cheng, Director of the Galaxy Entertainment Group, said that the group is thrilled to have this year’s tournament held at Galaxy Arena, which is Macao’s newest and largest indoor arena. With its state-of-the-art facilities, amenities, and hardware, coupled with the exceptional prowess of the athletes, they are confident to elevate the overall experience for volleyball enthusiasts worldwide, and further help Macao become a ‘City of Sports.

Eight world-class women’s volleyball teams gather in Macao

The event this year will present exciting matches featuring eight teams, including China, the Women’s Volleyball Nations League 2023 runners-up; Brazil, the silver medal winners in women’s volleyball at the Tokyo Olympics; Italy, the winners of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League 2022; and elite teams from Japan, the Netherlands, Thailand, Dominican Republic, and France. The six-day event will be run according to the following schedule: 

Tickets to open for sale from 3 p.m. on 6 May

Tickets to the matches will be on sale from 3 p.m. on 6 May. Members of the public can buy tickets via Damai application and mini program, the mCoin platform of Mpay, Cityline, MacauTicket.com, or by telephone, or at Kong Seng outlets in Macao from 11 a.m. on 7 May until 7 p.m. on 27 May, or directly at the venue Galaxy Arena during the event period. The tickets are priced between MOP 180 and MOP 1,380, depending on the seat section and match session. All ticket prices are in Macao Patacas (MOP) or Renminbi (CNY), and same prices apply to both Macao Patacas and Hong Kong dollars. Each person can purchase a maximum of four tickets per session. Every person taller than 1.2m in height requires a ticket for admission. Children who are less than 1.2m in height and do not occupy a seat can enter the venue free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult at all times, and each adult can only bring along one child.

Ticket discounts available for Macao residents, students and seniors on specific dates

Holders of Macao Resident ID Card can enjoy a 10% discount, and holders of a Macao full-time Student Card, Macao residents aged 65 or above, or holders of Registration Card for Disability Assessment can enjoy a 20% discount. Discounts are only available for tickets from 28 to 30 May sold at Kong Seng outlets in Macao, with each person limited to one discounted ticket per session. The concession is valid while stocks.

Those who wish to watch thrilling matches featuring leading women’s volleyball teams up-close are advised to purchase their tickets as early as possible. For details of the event, please visit the event website at www.macaovnl.com or the Sports Bureau website at www.sport.gov.mo, or follow the ‘Macao Major Sporting Events’ Facebook page, ‘澳門體育’ (Macao Sports) WeChat official account and ‘澳門特區體育局’ (Macao SAR Sports Bureau) WeChat subscription account.